God Knows

When you are tired and discouraged from fruitless efforts...
God knows how hard you have tried.

When you've cried so long and your heart is in anguish...
God has counted your tears.

If you feel that your life is on hold and time has passed you by...
God is waiting with you.

When you're lonely and friends are too busy for a phone call...
God is by your side.

When you think you've tried everything and don't know where to turn...
God has a solution.

Morning Greet

Good Morning! A phrase we all use all the time right? I say it to my daughter, I say it to my employees and even my mailman. I guess you could say it's some kind of a blessing to one another to start the day, a greeting to break the ice, maybe just a habit to some but to most, an act of politeness. Good morning to me has a whole different meaning than it does to most people. I don't remember how often I say it nor do I remember any special moments I've really used it, except one!

I remember it was a cold morning and I went to my usual morning coffee spot, parked in my usual parking spot and walked in. That's when it took on a whole new meaning. I looked up and my usual waitress wasn't there. Oh no, it definitely wasn't the usual.

I looked at a pretty waitress with a ponytail and eyes that lit up the world! Oh my God! I was thinking, there was something about her and I can't tell you what it was but she glowed, she brightened even the gloomiest day.

Love and Lose

To love and to lose is one of the biggest tragedies in life, yet one fails to see the blessing in the loss. We lose for many reasons - a death, a divorce, a broken friendship and the end of a relationship. In that moment, we feel our life has come to an end. How are we to go on? A piece of your soul is taken leaving an empty hole in your heart.

The question of "why me" repeats in your mind but as the beauty of time progresses, we see the answer. Loss makes us stronger and wiser. A loss helps us to appreciate even the smallest, insignificant things in life. Our hearts become softer and full of even more love than we had to begin with. A loss helps us to see that we can't do it alone, that we need faith and hope to get us through. We learn the mercy and grace of God.

How Worth This Time

With a timid voice and idolizing eyes, the little boy greeted his father as he returned from work,"Daddy, how much do you make an hour?"

Greatly surprised, but giving his boy a glaring look, the father said,
"Look, son, not even your mother knows that. Don't bother me now, I'm tired." "But Daddy, just tell me please! How much do you make an hour, " the boy insisted.

The father, finally giving up, replied: "Twenty dollars per hour."

"Okay, Daddy? Could you loan me ten dollars?" the boy asked.

Showing his restlessness and positively disturbed, the father yelled, "So that was the reason you asked how much I earn, right? Go to sleep and don't bother me anymore!"

Story of Eternity

    A long, long time ago somewhere in India a young monk was out walking. As he was passing through a forest he heard a rustling in the distance then a roar… - In those days wild animals like lions and tigers were a lot less scarce than they are now!! He started to run…

He ran and he ran but the roar got louder and louder. He ran clear out of the forest and into the open. Looking behind him he saw not one, but two of the biggest tigers ever!! They were catching him up!!

Suddenly he realized he had come to a dead end; the edge of a cliff. Looking around he saw a vine growing and quickly grabbed it, lowering himself down the cliff-face. Below him he heard a river, but…looking closer… he saw crocodiles everywhere! It seemed he was doomed. Also, to make matters even worse there was now a tiny mouse gnawing at the vine…

Being Natural

To me being "natural" is the essence of every spiritual teaching, every religion. That's why there's so much emphasis on being in and around nature! The whole point of meditation is to resume our own true nature. I reckon that all our problems, anxieties, frustrations and miseries arise from trying to be un-natural?

The best explanation of what I mean by 'natural' is this:

If a grown-up person is alone in a room and they know that the door is closed, locked and no one can see in, they will sometimes make funny faces in the mirror, dance around or sing songs in a stupid voice. They've got no inhibitions! No fear of looking ridiculous or being judged!!

Survivor

The only survivor of a shipwreck was washed up on a small,  uninhabited island. He prayed feverishly for God to rescue him, and every day he scanned the horizon for help, but none seemed forthcoming.

Exhausted, he eventually managed to build a little hut out of driftwood to protect him from the elements and to store his few possessions. But then one day, after scavenging for food, he arrived home to find his little hut in flames, the smoke rolling up to the sky.

The worst had happened; everything was lost. He was stunned with grief and anger. "God, how could you do this to me!" he cried. Early the next day, however, he was awakened by the sound of a ship that was approaching the island. It had come to rescue him. "How did you know I was here?" asked the weary man of his rescuers. "We saw your smoke signal," they replied.

It is easy to get discouraged when things are going badly. But we shouldn't lose heart, because God is at work in our lives, even in the midst of pain and suffering. Remember, next time your little hut is burning to the ground--it just may be a smoke signal that summons The Grace of God.